Amy Clark Meachum, Democrat
Challenger for Chief Justice, Supreme Court
Meachum/Photo by Campaign
Question: What is your educational background?
Answer: University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with honors (2000)
Southern Methodist University, B.A. magna cum laude, Journalism & Political Science (1997)
Lorena High School, Lorena, Texas (1993)
Q: What is your occupation?
A: Presiding Judge, 201st Judicial District, Travis County, Texas
Q: What is your age:
A: 45
Q: If your campaign has any online campaign resources where voters can learn more about you, such as social media accounts or a website, please list them below.
A: http://amymeachum.com
Judge Amy Clark Meachum for Chief Justice on Facebook & Instagram
Q: Why did you decide to run for this office in 2020?
A: It is time for a new generation of judicial thought leaders to bring much needed fairness and balance to the monolithic Supreme Court of Texas.
Texas has never elected a woman chief justice to its highest court, and I am proud to be the first woman to run for this office. We need a system of justice that respects the Constitution, protects the vital role of citizen juries, and addresses the economic barriers that too often prevent women, persons of color, and working families from seeking and obtaining justice. We need to elect judges who put public service over special interests. Texas needs fair and impartial judges who are committed to common sense rulings that listen to science, facts and evidence in these challenging times.
In 2011, 2015, and 2019, I raised my right hand and swore "to the best of my ability to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State, so help me God." That oath matters to me. The rule of law matters to me. Now, more than ever, we need to elect judges who respect the Constitution, judicial independence and integrity. This moment demands that we all find the courage to stand up for our democracy.
Q: If elected, what will be your top three priorities in office?
A: -- Access to justice and lawyers for all persons -- not just those who have the money and means to pay for it. Courts must be open and accessible for everyone, not just those with the means to pay for an expensive attorney. As chief justice, I will advocate for as much state funding for these programs as we can receive from the state Legislature. Unfortunately, the San Antonio Express News recently reported that the Texas Supreme Court intends to slash $1.2 million in legal aid funding for low-income families for fiscal year 2021. This is a huge concern since the need for legal aid during the Covid-19 pandemic is more critical than ever with rising evictions, unemployment and domestic violence cases.
-- Equal justice under law for all persons -- We must broaden our discussion to include ways that lawyers and the courts can help make our civil justice system more fair and just for all Texans. We should require implicit bias training for all Texas judges, a moratorium for evictions until after the pandemic has ended, and State Bar hotlines for all persons to access legal advice and understand their rights and relief programs during these difficult and challenging times.
-- Transparency and Open Government -- One other achievable improvement would be more transparency of decisions regarding discretionary review and how each of the nine justices vote to grant of deny review. In addition, we need disclosure of campaign donors with current cases pending before the court. There should be an additional filing required when a campaign donor of one of the justices is a party to the case.
Q: Why are you the best candidate for voters to support for this position in 2020?
A: My trial court experience and my long record of standing up for the values of equality, fairness, and justice under the law make me the best candidate in this race. In 2010, I won an election to become one of the youngest district court judges in the state. For the past decade, I have presided over thousands of hearings, trials and proceedings in all the types of cases that the Texas Supreme Court could conceivably take up: personal injury, commercial law, family law, probate, administrative appeals, juvenile justice, CPS, etc.
I have served as a guest lecturer with the Texas Center for Legal Ethics, a board member on the Administrative and Public Law Council with the State Bar, and a board member with Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.
Before joining the bench, I was one of the youngest partners at McGinnis Lochridge, and represented clients on both sides of the docket. I made partner at the firm at the age of 31 – the year after I successfully represented women suing Johnson & Johnson for and unsafe birth control product. Thanks in large part to the work I did with my law partner, Ray Chester, this product was removed from the market.
When you investigate my judicial record, it will show a decade of standing up for the values of fairness, equality and justice under the law. After winning a contested Democratic primary in Travis County in 2010, I ran for reelection unopposed in 2014 and 2018. Not a single Democrat nor a single Republican ran against me in 2014 or 2018. That speaks to the quality of my work and the fairness of my rulings.
Finally, I am very respectful for the Chief Justice’s long service to our state. However, I believe my vision of a more inclusive justice system and one that recognizes its failings and tries to better our system of justice with a renewed commitment to equal justice under the law is a better vision for Texas in 2020. Finally, I can serve my full term under the Texas Constitution, where the current chief justice will have to retire at age 75 in the middle of his term.